Indentation Load Relaxation Studies of Thin Film-Substrate Systems

Abstract

Results from indentation load relaxation (ILR) tests on thin film-substrate systems are reported.In the case of a 1 pum aluminum film on silicon, the data can be interpreted as reflecting both the properties of the film and the interface between film and substrate.Data from a 3 Um TiN film on 304 SS are believed to reflect the combined behavior of the film and substrate.

Fundamental Studies of the Mechanical Behavior of Microelectronic Thin Film Materials.

“…Knowledge of the mechanical strength of the materials used for these interconnections is important to an understanding of the failure mechanisms and to obtaining the appropriate solutions. Two common techniques used in the study of thin film mechanical properties are substrate bending techniques [ 1-6] for detecting stresses in thin films and sub-micron indentation techniques [7][8][9][10]. In this section of the report we describe the application of both methods to the determination of the strength of two materials used for metallizations: aluminum and tungsten.…”